1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorative accessories for clothing, hair, or other similar and suitable places. Particularly the presently disclosed device is useful for securing a person's hair in place with a different decorative item with attachable and interchangeable decorations or ornaments, providing a decorative fashion accessory for the hair made primarily of chains and beads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Despite the fact that the basic design of headbands, barrettes, and hair combs has remained unchanged for a significant period of time, the ongoing demands of constantly changing fashion trends require a costly accumulation of hair controlling devices basically identical in structure, but different solely in the decorations or ornaments adorning the devices. The prior art reflects the desire to adapt to fashion trends, while minimizing the number of hair controlling devices by means of hair controlling devices with interchangeable decorations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,611 B1, issued to LeCrone et al. in 2001, discloses a banded clothing device with pockets to receive ornaments. Such ornamentation may be in the form of clips, barrettes, hair pins or bobby pins having ornamentation such as bows, ribbons, flowers and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,123, issued to Odenthal in 1995, discloses a headband kit with removable panels, interchangeably attachable to the display surface by means of a friction fit within mounting holes.
Another interchangeable barrette assembly with ornamental components is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,158, issued to Lloyd et al. in 2000, which discloses an interchangeable barrette assembly, comprising an ornamental component with posts that snap into the body of the removable clasp assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,903 B1, issued to Haufler in 2001, describes a hair band consisting of a wearable body and a cord adapted to be woven through at least a portion of the body, the cord securing the ornaments to the body.
Hook-and-loop fastening systems (Velcro®) are in widespread use on numerous consumer products, including fashion accessories. U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,836, issued to McKeown in 1998, discloses a variety of hair ornamental and hair control devices utilizing a Velcro® system of hook-and-loop fasteners to comfortably and securely attach the ornament to the head. However McKeown utilizes hook-and-loop fasteners to secure the hair controlling device to the hair rather than to the hair controlling device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,585, issued to Reinstein et al. in October 2000, discloses a hair ornament attachment system having decorative ornaments with hook fastening material on its reverser side for directly affixing the ornament to the hair and not the surface of a hair controlling device. Additionally, Reinstein et al. disclose a display unit consisting of loop fastening material for storing the ornaments when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,371, issued in July 2000, to Bader-Saltzman et al., discloses a novel hair clip utilizing hook-and-loop fastening for attaching hair decorations to the barrel of the hair clip. Additionally, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0066462 A1, published in June 2002, applied for by Denebeim, discloses a headband consisting of a strip of hook type fastening material on one side and loop type fastening material on its reverse side, said strip capable of attaching its ends to itself around a person's head, and capable of having attached to it, a variety of ornaments and or hair attachments.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the presently disclosed device as claimed. Thus a hair ornament kit with interchangeable decorations and a storage board solving the aforementioned problems is desired.